Estonian defense minister arrives in Kyiv with new military aid

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur arrived in Kyiv on Feb. 26, announcing a new military aid package for Ukraine that includes weapons and equipment for Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, as reported by Estonian media outlet ERR.

According to ERR, the new package includes “assault rifles, pistols, drones, thermal imaging cameras, generators, and battery chargers, as well as clothing.”

In Kyiv, Pevkur also met with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

“This is not the first visit of our great friend to Kyiv. And again, I want to note the minister's courage,” Reznikov wrote on Facebook.

According to Reznikov, Estonia has provided Ukraine with military aid worth more than 1 percent of the Baltic country’s GDP.

ERR reported that the total assistance provided by Estonia to Ukraine is worth 400 million euros.

“It is difficult to overestimate Estonia’s help,” Reznikov wrote.

In January, the Estonian government decided to supply Ukraine with remote fire and anti-tank weapons and ammunition worth some 113 million euros — the largest aid package provided by Estonia so far.

The aid includes dozens of 155-mm and 122-mm howitzers, thousands of shells and trucks for them, over a hundred Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapons, and more than a thousand units of ammunition for them, according to ERR.

The aid package was proposed by Pevkur, who also emphasized Ukraine's need for heavy weapons. "The toughest battles are yet to come," he said.

Estonia's previous military assistance to Ukraine included Javelin anti-tank missiles, howitzers, anti-tank mines and grenade launchers, mortars, vehicles, communications equipment, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and dry food packages, according to the country's government.

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